Employers Lament Lack of Skills As Graduate Jobs See 17 Percent Rise: According to new data from the Association of Graduate Recruiters, there is likely to be an increase in available graduate-level roles of around 17% during the year 2013-14 – the Government suggested that this increase demonstrated that confidence among British businesses is growing. The figures suggest there will be an estimated 22,076 available vacancies by September of 2014.

Employers Lament Lack of Skills As Graduate Jobs See 17 Percent Rise: Investment Banks and Fund Managers Now Pay Highest Starting Salaries

Surveying the top graduate recruiters, the research takes place twice a year and runs from September to September to mirror the academic calendar. The summer tranche, on which these results are based, included interviews with 189 of the country’s top graduate employers and shows a marked increase in the number of predicted graduate roles available – up from a 10% increase being suggested in the winter survey.

Speaking about the results of the survey, the AGR said that almost a quarter of its members were reporting graduate level vacancies – it stated that though this should be seen as good news, it does not necessarily mean that the job market will become easier for employers or students.

The AGR outlined fears that there was already a mismatch between the skills students leave university with and the expectations of graduate employers, and that this is only likely to grow due to a fall in the number of teenagers.

In terms of salaries, the median graduate salary has increased by £500, and now sits at around £27,000. The largest salaries are in the £42,000 region – the wages offered by investment banks or fund managers.

Since 2007-2008, the trend in graduate jobs has been up and down. The following figures show the results of previous AGR surveys:

2007/08: -6.7%

2008/09: -17.8%

2009/10: +12.6%

2010/11: +2.8%

2011/12: -0.9%

2012/13: +4.6%

2013/14: +17%